Sure hope this is a one-time thing.

[isaac42 881]

Playing last night, and, about halfway through one of the later songs, all of a sudden I got a severe pain in my right (plucking) index finger and forearm. Had to stop playing. Came back in with the vocals, and started hammering on the roots so that there'd be some bass, and limped to the end of the song that way. Stretched it out and tried again, no good. Finished the night using second and third fingers only. At first, even that set it off again, but it got better.

I figure it was just a cramp, but this is a new thing for me. I also know that I have a tendency to overreact to things like this, but, if this keeps happening, or gets worse, I might have to quit playing.

One positive thing: I got a good joke out of it. I stepped up to the mic and said, "Really, this has never happened to me before. Really." And every woman in the place smiled and nodded, obviously thinking, "Yeah, I've heard that before!"

Anyway, the finger aches this morning, but seems to be working all right. I hope that's the end of it.

[daddymack 1,178]

sorry to hear that. I had a similar issue, on and off, and found that I need to get more potassium in my system. That may not be your issue, but it helped my hand and finger cramping.

[isaac42 881]

7 hours ago, daddymack said:

sorry to hear that. I had a similar issue, on and off, and found that I need to get more potassium in my system. That may not be your issue, but it helped my hand and finger cramping.

I doubt that's it, considering my diet and meds. Doctor tested to make sure I didn't have too much potassium not too long ago (BP meds can drive that up). I hope it's just an anomalous occurrence.

Chatting with a friend, it occurred to me that, if it comes to the worst, I can always play bass lines with my left hand on a keyboard. Not the same, but good enough for most situations.

[lug 37]

Did you drink beer?  Though usually found in toes or lower extremities, you can get Gout in your fingers as well. 

[isaac42 881]

3 hours ago, lug said:

Did you drink beer?  Though usually found in toes or lower extremities, you can get Gout in your fingers as well. 

Nope, no beer. Never developed a taste for it. I had one glass of wine with my burger.

It's possible that I was a bit dehydrated. I certainly was very thirsty after the show. I've hear that can have an effect on cramps.

[Phil O'Keefe 10,691]

Pretty scary stuff Isaac.  Hopefully it was just a one-off occurrence, but it might be a good idea for you to go in and discuss it with your doctors, just to be safe. 

[DeepEnd 1,799]

Sorry to hear it. Finger mojo sent. I'm with Phil though, go see a doctor. 

[isaac42 881]

Might be an idea. The coming week will be a busy one. Two rehearsals tomorrow, then gigs on Thursday evening, Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. If I get through the week with no issues, then I'll likely let it go until my next regular checkup. If not, well, we'll see.

[Phil O'Keefe 10,691]

Break a leg! Just not your finger...  

[isaac42 881]

Thanks.

[isaac42 881]

So far, so good.

[DeepEnd 1,799]

11 hours ago, isaac42 said:

So far, so good.

Good to hear. 👍

[isaac42 881]

One gig to go. At this point, I'm more concerned about losing my voice than I am about cramping up. Voice fatigue is pretty much a given at this point.

[isaac42 881]

And fatigue was the worst of it. In fact, everything went remarkably well, from most perspectives. None of us lost our voices. No cramps. Guitar player may have got a blister.

In fact, I'm not even as tired as I thought I'd be. Maybe there's hope for this old geezer yet.

[lug 37]

Great news, you old decrepit bastage! 

[f5mando 0]

A similar thing happened to me after I took up bowling. I stopped bowling, and the pains (and some swelling) stopped. The two middle fingers are still a little achey, but at least I can play again.

*I'm a lefty playing righty, so my fretting hand was the victim. 🎳

[isaac42 881]

Been a couple of weeks, played a couple more gigs. No cramps. Appears to have been a one-time thing. Woohoo!

Of course, I'm still getting older, and other things keep happening, but not things that keep me from playing. Not recently, anyway. There was the tendonitis a few years back.